MWA - Merlin Wright Associates

Effective onboarding is incredibly important when welcoming a new team member.  In the work we have carried out over the years, we see very different approaches to onboarding candidates. There is no one-size-fits-all to successfully transitioning a candidate. However, there are several steps one can take to ensure a good outcome.  

The success of your onboarding process can define a new hire’s first few months, with a significant impact upon the attorney’s productivity, engagement, and alignment with company objectives. Here, we present our step-by-step guide for managers and heads of departments to ensure a smooth onboarding process for an IP professional.  

1. Preparation 

Prior to a new hire beginning, it’s important to have an appropriate plan in place. There is nothing worse than arriving at a new job to find nothing ready for you upon arrival. These preparations do not have to be extensive, simply enough to make your hire feel they are welcomed into the team. In the weeks before a new starter’s first day, consider these questions: 

• Who will be there to support them? Pair the new attorney with a more senior colleague, who can act as a guide during their first few days.  

• Where and how will they work? Ensure they have been allocated a work station, which is fully equipped with the necessary equipment and/or technology they need. If they are going to be issued a laptop, ensure this is ready and loaded up with any necessary software.  

• What work will they be doing? Gather resources to ensure a thorough understanding of your new hire’s caseload, allowing them to get started with a solid foundation of knowledge.  

2. Help them hit the ground running. 

In order to provide an incoming attorney the best start possible, you should prepare a structured plan to introduce them to their caseload. By the end of their onboarding period, you should feel satisfied that they understand their: 

• Casework and the technologies involved 

• The processes and software used by your team 

• The business objectives they are working towards 

• Who their key stakeholders are – and wherever possible, provide an introduction to smoothly establish relationships. You can foster cross-functional relationships through setting up initial meetings with clients, R&D teams, and/or executives as necessary.  

3. Provide Clear Expectations

A critical part of onboarding is clarifying the role and setting expectations for the incoming attorney regarding their responsibilities, performance metrics, and professional development. 

• Outline short- and long-term expectations of them. What are you hoping they will have accomplished in the first three months? The first year? 

• Ensure they know how their performance will be evaluated (AKA key performance indicators/KPIs).  

4. Monitor Their Progress

It is essential that an onboarding process doesn’t end when your new hire finishes their first week. When settling in, it is likely that they will need a bit of extra help every now and again. By continuing to monitor their progress throughout the first couple of months, you can ensure they fulfil their potential as soon as possible. 

• Schedule regular check-ins, perhaps weekly, to discuss progress, challenges, and any further support they may need.  

• Collect feedback from close colleagues to your new hire on how they are settling in. Do they seem comfortable and confident in managing their workload? Are they fitting in socially and engaging with their colleagues? 

5. Evaluate and Adjust

After your new hire has settled in, it can be helpful to ask them to evaluate your onboarding process.  

• Solicit feedback from the attorney and ask for any suggestions to improve the procedure.   

• From their evaluation and your own experience of their performance, consider what went well and what might be improved. You can implement these changes upon your next new hire, and continuously improve your onboarding experience.  

Developing a successful onboarding process is essential to guaranteeing a positive start for your new hires. Particularly within a specialised a field as intellectual property, having a comprehensive orientation period can make the world of difference in an attorney’s initial performance. Onboarding sets the tone for the rest of a team member’s tenure with the company; and could even determine how long they elect to stay in the position.

Providing a structured yet flexible onboarding plan that addresses both work-related and practical aspects, companies can enable new hires to boost productivity quickly, build relationships with key stakeholders, and contribute to the company’s or clients’ IP strategy in meaningful ways. Ultimately, a well-executed onboarding process will also set the foundation for a strong working relationship between the attorney and their team, helping to protect and grow the company’s IP assets. 

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